Patricia Schwabe was just a kid but she can still picture the first time she saw meatloaf, the quintessential American comfort dish.
She won’t lie; it was pretty strange compared to the food she ate at home in Mexico.
“I do have very vivid memories and the food is comforting and great,” she said earlier this week as she finalized plans to open her newest restaurant, Blue Front Fine American Food, at 110 E. Congress St.
Much of what she ate and experienced in American restaurants during her childhood cross-border visits is represented on Blue Front’s menu of classic American fare: Burgers, milkshakes, sandwiches, salads, bar nibbles including pickled eggs and, of course, meatloaf — as a sandwich on the lunch menu and served as an entreè with garlic mashed potatoes on the dinner menu.
“For me, this just kind of represents that food that at a very early age I started eating and enjoying,” said Schwabe, who will hold Blue Front’s grand opening on Monday, Jan. 16. “I have fond memories of eating American food in the United States growing up.”
Blue Front, which borrows its name from the clothing store that was in the space in the early 1900s, takes the place of Ten55 Brewing, which announced plans last spring to relocate to midtown. Schwabe, who also owns the upscale Mexican restaurant Penca, at 50 E. Broadway, and the Owls Club, at 236 S. Scott Ave., had hoped to open last summer. But it took longer than expected for Ten55 to remove its brewing equipment from the Congress Street building where they had been brewing and serving their craft beer since 2018.
“It was just hard to do much. I wanted to be respectful of their business so we couldn’t ... do anything really,” she said. “To be a good neighbor to them, we just kind of cruised a little bit.”
Schwabe got a $300,000 grant from Rio Nuevo to support the remodel, which included installing new flooring, adding paneling, fixing the roof, replacing kitchen equipment and installing new beer lines. The 2,200-square-foot restaurant can seat a total of 120 between the dining room, patio and upstairs mezzanine, which has pool tables and TVs and feels like a sports bar.
Blue Front Fine American Food borrows its name from the clothing store that was in the space in the early 1900s. Most recently, it was home to Ten55 Brewing.
“Tucson loves its sports, and I know Penca always had less people when UA was playing,” Schwabe said. “We hope to be a good partner with the UA and be a place where a lot of people can watch a game and enjoy a cold beer and salad.”
“I think it feels pretty different,” she said of the building, which is owned by her and her husband’s development company Peach Properties.
Blue Front will open at 11 a.m. daily, offering one more lunchtime option for downtown workers.
“I don’t know if this is the best example of American food, but it is a lot of my accumulated palate of what I consider American food,” she said. “Hopefully, my American husband can agree with me.”
In addition to burgers, salads and sandwiches, the menu has a few vegetarian options, including a lentil-tempeh burger and mushroom cheesesteak made with oyster and shitake mushrooms. You can also substitute the thick cut bacon for a housemade tempeh bacon in the classic BLT.
The drink menu features playful craft cocktails including the Delta Dawn made with apricot eau-de-vie, Cocchi Rosa, Peychaud’s and absinthe rinse; and the Mule Skinner Blues made with vodka, ginger beer, lime and a house berry-beet syrup.
Although it’s official opening is Monday, Schwabe said they will take reservations for Sunday, Jan. 15; call 520-849-7964.
The regular hours as of Monday will be from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays, and until 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.
For more information, visit bluefronttucson.com.
Downtown Tucson has changed over the years with the construction of apartment buildings and hotels. Take a flight over the area. Drone video by: Mamta Popat, Arizona Daily Star
12+ Tucson restaurants we said goodbye to in 2022
Bentley's coffeehouse
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Jo Schneider laughs for a photo with longtime friend Willow Bentley inside LaCo's courtyard, 201 N. Court Ave., on Jan. 12, 2022. Schneider and Bentley opened Bentley's House of Coffee and Tea 38 years ago. The cafe permanently closed its doors in December.
Tucson entered the new year without the longtime Bentley's coffeehouse, which closed in late December 2021 after nearly four decades in business.
With Bentley’s closed, the Schneider family and their community can still be found at the downtown restaurants LaCo and TallBoys.
Jo Schneider founded Bentley's so she could have and raise her sons, Ben and Eli, in a safe space, filled with community. She made that space home for generations of Tucsonans. The Schneider family can still be found at its downtown restaurants LaCo and TallBoys.
Wings Over Broadway
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Wings Over Broadway, 5004 E. Broadway - Courtesy of Google earth
Wings Over Broadway announced the official closure of its restaurant at 8838 E. Broadway Blvd. in early October.
First opened in 1999, the restaurant moved into that most recent space from its original location at 5004 E. Broadway Blvd. in 2017. In a Facebook post, challenges WOB faced due to the COVID-19 pandemic and lengthy roadwork on Broadway were credited for the decision to cease operations.
Sullivan's Eatery & Creamery
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Autumn Hand laughs along with regular customers as she takes their orders at Sullivan’s Eatery & Creamery, 6444 N. Oracle Road.
After 45 years, Sullivan’s Eatery & Creamery at 6444 N. Oracle Road will close for good.
Alex Mustaffa, who has owned the restaurant since 2017, said he will close no later than June 15, two weeks before his lease expires. But the closing could come sooner, he said, if he runs out of supplies or doesn’t have enough employees to keep the doors open.
1702
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Eric Lepie, owner of 1702 Pizza and Craft Beer, is closing after 15 years in business.
1702 pizzeria closed its doors in May after 15 years of service. Not only will owner Eric Lepie be closing the restaurant but he’s also closing the final chapter of a 45-year restaurant career in Tucson.
Primo Italian restaurant
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Primo at the JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort & Spa will close on Sept. 30. A new Italian trattoria-style restaurant will take its place in October.
After 18 years, two-time James Beard Award-winning chef and restaurateur Melissa Kelly is closing her Primo Italian restaurant at the JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort & Spa.
But Italian food is not leaving the west-side Tucson resort entirely.
Sometime in mid-October, Starr Pass, at 3800 W. Starr Pass Blvd., will replace the upscale Primo with a more casual trattoria.
Pizza Luna
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Pizza Luna's sausage rossa pizza, $12.75, features wild mushrooms and housemade Italian sausage.
Pizza Luna owners Marc and Tracy Frankel closed their doors after five years of bringing Neapolitan-style pizza to the east side.
Last year, when the Frankels launched Bubbe’s Bagels with Becca Groff and Kyle Leuer, they tapped into an even deeper need. Unlike delicious, Neapolitan-style pizza, which can be found in other neighborhoods — downtown’s Anello, food trucks like Family Joint Pizzeria — east-coast-quality bagels could not be found anywhere else.
Tino's Pizza
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Tino's Pizza is closing in early February after nearly four decades in business.
In early January, the family made the painful decision to close Tino’s Pizza, after over 35 years, at 6610 E. Tanque Verde Road on Wednesday, Feb. 2.
“It’s hard to let go,” said Morgan Chonis, the family’s spokeswoman. “It’s been amazing, and the community and love and outpouring of support has been unreal. But ultimately it came down to the family’s decision to retire my father’s legacy.”
Morgan Chonis: “If you went to high school around here, it was the rite of passage to work here. We have kids working here now whose parents worked here.”
Fat Noodle
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Lead cook Albert Leyva tops the House Ramen bowl with sesame seeds at Fat Noodle ramen restaurant, 811 E. Wetmore Road, on October 11, 2018, in Tucson, AZ.
Fat Noodle closed its doors at 811 E. Wetmore Rd. on August 6. The ramen shop will now make its food truck their main focal point. Fat Noodle is entirely made from scratch, from the noodles to the stock.
The Fat Noodle bowl of House Ramen features sonoran wheat house noodles, chicken and pork shoyu broth, pork chashu, soft egg, enoki, green onions, Fat Noodle sauce, sesame seeds and crispy onions at Fat Noodle ramen restaurant, 811 E. Wetmore Road, on October 11, 2018, in Tucson.
For Fat Noodle, opening a brick-and-mortar has been nearly two years in the making.
The FN Burger at Fat Noodle ramen restaurant is a sesame ginger beef topped with lettuce, tomato, hoisin sauce and spicy mayo on a grilled ramen noodle bun at Fat Noodle ramen restaurant, 811 E. Wetmore Road, on October 11, 2018, in Tucson, AZ.
4 Seasons Restaurant
Updated4 Seasons Restaurant announced that the restaurant is permanently closing at 1423 W. Miracle Mile. "We have provided high quality Thai food for 9 years and been an enthusiastic part of the local community," they wrote.
Donut Wheel
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Sam Phetdara, owner, puts finished chocolate topped filling donuts on a rack at Donut Wheel, 4801 S Campbell Ave. in Tucson, Ariz. on Oct. 11, 2022. Donut Wheel is closing its doors after 34 years.
Donut Wheel at 4801 S. Campbell Ave. closed its doors Oct. 28.
“It’s time,” said Sam Phetdara, who has operated the doughnut shop at Campbell Avenue and Irvington Road for 34 years. “Our customers are sad and say they are going to miss us.”
Baker Josh Gonzalez puts sprinkles on chocolate and pink frosted donuts at Donut Wheel.
For Star subscribers: The two Donut Wheel locations are owned and operated separately. One will close at the end of the month and the other has already shut its doors.
Sonoran Brunch Company
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This colorful mural where brunch foods rain down was created by Cactus Clouds Art. Find it at Sonoran Brunch Company in the drive-thru.
The Sonoran Brunch Company opened in 2019 near Kolb Road and 22nd Street. It featured colorful murals and breakfast foods.
Sonoran Brunch Company closed in May.
Eegees Grant & Alvernon
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Any local is going to tell you to do this right away. Why? They're amazing and no one else has them. You can also take your eegee's drink to the next level with our simple tricks.
There are two near campus: Speedway Boulevard and Tucson Boulevard, 2510 E. Speedway Blvd. AND Grant and Campbell, 2470 N. Campbell Ave.
Eegee's at Grant and Alvernon closed its doors Nov. 29. The popular Tucson sandwich and shaved ice restaurant has nearby locations at Speedway and Tucson, Speedway and Craycroft or Campbell and Grant.
Mantis Gourmet Chinese Food
UpdatedMantis Gourmet Chinese Food will permanently close its doors at 8250 N. Cortaro Rd. on Dec. 31. The restaurant is one of several located in the Arizona Pavilions Marketplace.
